1
a
: a rounded crosspiece between the legs of a chair
b
: one of the crosspieces of a ladder
2
Scotland
: a heavy staff or cudgel
3
: a spoke of a wheel
4
: a level in a hierarchy
rise a few rungs on the social scale—
H. W. Van Loon
H. W. Van LoonSynonyms
Examples of rung in a Sentence
Noun
He was on the bottom rung on the corporate ladder.
the top rung of society
the lowest rung of the pay scale
Recent Examples on the WebSteven Yoder, USA TODAY, 24 June 2024
The conventional wisdom is that success is reserved for those who have the resources and connections to start a few rungs up the ladder from the beginning.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 20 June 2024
The three rungs together would cost the U.S. government about $250 billion each year, which would represent the largest federal investment in human capital in American history.
—Kenneth F. Scheve, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2018
Obviously those on the lower rungs of the economic ladder have more difficulty adjusting to increases in living costs.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 8 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for rung 
Noun
Back in Lopez’s class, students are done calculating where their ladder rungs should go and now must mark them on the wall.
—Steven Yoder, USA TODAY, 24 June 2024
The conventional wisdom is that success is reserved for those who have the resources and connections to start a few rungs up the ladder from the beginning.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 20 June 2024
The three rungs together would cost the U.S. government about $250 billion each year, which would represent the largest federal investment in human capital in American history.
—Kenneth F. Scheve, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2018
Obviously those on the lower rungs of the economic ladder have more difficulty adjusting to increases in living costs.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 8 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for rung
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rung.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rung
Cite this Entry
“Rung.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rung. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rung
1 of 2past participle of ring entry 3
rung
2 of 2 noun
: a rounded part placed as a crosspiece between the legs of a chair
also
: one of the crosspieces of a ladder
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